The present invention relates generally to the field of practice balls for sports. In particular, the present invention relates to a ball for use in training that collapses when hit or kicked and then reforms itself to its original shape or form, dissipating kinetic energy and allowing use of the ball in a restricted geographical area.
Training athletes, especially young athletes in various ball sports, e.g., baseball, requires a practice ball that will aid in developing hand-eye and foot-eye coordination, as well as developing motor skills, muscle strength, correct form and proper technique while being safe and not intimidating. While a regulation size sport ball captures the feel and sound of hitting the ball, the weight and hardness of the ball may be impractical or undesirable when there are geographical limitations of the practice area such as indoors or in a limited outdoor space. In addition, because of the force often applied to the regulation sport ball, practice time may be disrupted by continuous retrieval of balls at a great distance. Using a regulation sport ball also increases the chances of injuring younger athletes, who may not yet have developed the necessary skills to avoid such injury because of the weight of the ball and the force created when throwing, catching, kicking, or batting the ball.
Accordingly, there is a need for a practice ball that is not as hard or heavy as a regulation ball, which when struck or kicked travels only a limited distance for practice in sports such as baseball, softball, football, golf, tennis, soccer, and the like.
There have been several attempts to provide suitable practice balls for young athletes. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,997 to Mason discloses a compound ball designed with spherical outer and inner shells, dimensioned to provide spacing therebetween. The outer shell is formed of molded polymeric material with circular apertures spaced over its surface. The inner shell is a gas-filled sphere which provides mass and rebound upon being struck with, for example, a bat. The outer shell of the Mason ball includes apertures and/or raised dimpling to limit flight distance and range, or to otherwise alter performance.
The Mason ball suffers from the disadvantage that flight performance or distance is altered both prior to and after the ball is struck. For example, in teaching a young athlete to hit or kick a ball, it would be advantageous for the ball to perform substantially as a regulation ball when traveling to the athlete, but to exhibit limited flight after the athlete has hit or kicked the ball. Such a ball would advantageously allow training of the athlete with a ball which performed normally until the point where it is kicked or hit, but which travels only a limited distance after being hit or struck.
In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, a ball is provided which safely, accurately and economically enables a person to develop correct form and proper technique in sports such as baseball, softball, golf, tennis and soccer. The invention comprises a collapsible reforming ball that has aerodynamic qualities or regulation ball-simulative characteristics during flight, including a single outer shell designed to eliminate or reduce energy transfer upon being struck or upon striking an object, thereby significantly reducing ball flight. It will be appreciated that this feature allows a significant reduction in ball flight upon striking the ball of this invention. It should also be appreciated that should the ball inadvertently strike a user, the reduction of energy transfer from the ball to the user significantly reduces the risk of injury.
In one aspect, this invention provides a training ball that performs in a manner that is substantially identical to a regulation ball when thrown, but which absorbs enough energy upon being hit or kicked to travel only a modest distance and reforms to its original shape, ready for a new kick or hit.
Typically, the collapsing-reforming ball provided by the invention is formed of a highly resilient rubberized or other soft resilient material with rubber-like properties. The material may be selected from the group of materials including, but not limited to, natural and synthetic elastomers, natural rubber, butadiene, butyl rubber, polybutyldiene rubber, styrene butyl diene, and the like.
In an especially preferred embodiment, the invention provides a collapsing-reforming ball comprising a hollow, spherical shell. Incisions are placed thereon extending through at least a portion of the wall of the hollow spherical shell. The placement, position, length, shape, and number of these xe2x80x9ccollapsing incisionsxe2x80x9d allow the ball to collapse when hit by, e.g., a bat, club or foot. The collapse of the ball, coupled with venting or exhausting of air contained within the hollow interior of the ball, dissipates the kinetic energy generated by an object, for example a bat, striking the collapsing-reforming ball and prevents or reduces the transfer of the bat kinetic energy to the collapsing-reforming ball. Upon transference of the momentum (energy) of the bat, foot, etc., the ball of the invention absorbs and dissipates the energy, and the ball travels only a short distance. It will be appreciated that the resilient nature of the material comprising the ball allows reformation to its original shape, ready for another hit or kick.